Where will winter window hot properties Benteke and Berahino go?
With Wilfried Bony closing in on a big money move from Swansea City to Manchester City, Coral football experts began to wonder which other Premier League strikers will attract obvious interest in the January transfer window?
Two names, lining up on opposite sides of a West Midlands derby divide, immediately spring to mind: Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion top scorers Christian Benteke and Saido Berahino. It’s possible this pair could even be up front together at the same club!
So, who have the big Belgium international and Burundi-born England call-up been linked with? Read on to see their respective destinations and the likelihood of them moving based on our odds.
Christian Benteke
Tottenham, who are understood to have long-standing interest in Benteke, lead his next club market at 2/1. Young Spurs starlet Harry Kane needs a foil and healthy competition instead of being an automatic pick for Mauricio Pochettino, because of flops Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado.
Another top four contender, Liverpool, are next in the queue for Benteke at 11/4, as they are desperately short of goals up front with wide attacker Raheem Sterling often deployed as a false nine by Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. The Belgian is a definite upgrade on Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini, who could see a permanent move to Sunderland revived in the winter window. Mario Balotelli may also be on his way out of Anfield.
Saido Berahino
When it comes to Berahino, Liverpool and Tottenham swap places in his next club market. It’s 6/4 on the Reds coughing up the reported £20m needed to persuade the Baggies to sell him, but a reprisal of Berahino’s brilliant England Under-21 partnership with Kane must be alluring. Spurs are 5/2 to take him to White Hart Lane.
Southampton (10/1) and Everton (14/1) are intriguing prices to take Berahino, with both looking to strengthen to maintain and push respective bids for a European place. There has always been a place for young talent at Saints, while Roberto Martinez is more likely to be looking at defence rather than attack.
